Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Western

🌾 Politics of the Plate: How Climate, Capitalism and Inequality Shape What We Eat
What if the food on our plates could tell a bigger story—one about climate change, inequality, culture, and the future of our communities?

Western researchers say it can.

From quinoa fields high in the Andes to the dry landscapes of Rajasthan, India, the politics of food reach every corner of the world. Once celebrated as a “miracle crop,” quinoa became a global success story that also revealed the hidden tensions of industrial farming: rising prices, environmental strain and the widening gap between local farmers and global markets.

Here in Canada and around the world, food is one of the most powerful lenses for understanding our biggest challenges. Western experts like Dr. Tony Weis, Dr. Bipasha Baruah, Dr. Jason Gilliland, and Dr. Chantelle Richmond are shedding light on the complex systems behind what we grow, what we buy, and what we eat.

🌎 Climate change is reshaping agriculture.
Some regions are losing entire growing seasons due to drought. Others rely heavily on crops that deplete soil and water. Industrial farming uses massive land, while small farmers struggle to compete.

🍽️ Food security is deeply unequal.
Many of the places hit hardest by climate impacts are the ones that contributed the least to the crisis. Access to nutritious food is still not guaranteed — even in cities like London, Ontario, where transportation, affordability and store access deeply affect families.

🌱 Local, resilient solutions are emerging.
Western researchers are studying how local crops, sustainable farming, traditional food knowledge and Indigenous food sovereignty can transform our food systems. From biodiverse farming to school nutrition programs, community gardens and new government policies, there are pathways forward.

❤️ Food connects us all — health, culture, community and environment.
As Dr. Richmond’s work shows, food can heal, strengthen identity, and reconnect people to land and culture. And as Gilliland reminds us, good food fuels minds, bodies and futures.

If you care about the world students will inherit — and the world they’ll help shape — this is essential reading. The future of food is the future of all of us.
👉 https://magazine.westernu.ca/politics-of-the-plate/

Rogina, we’re so proud of you!

Meet Our Students: Celebrating Success Stories

For Rogina Kazemian, Western University has always felt like home.
Now in the BMOS – Honours Specialization in Management and Legal Studies program, with a Minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and a Certificate in Purpose Driven Leadership, she’s turned her passion for ethical leadership and community empowerment into action.

From leading the Rotaract Club and volunteering as an advisor for youth programs, to assisting with research at the Ivey Behavioural Lab and running her own fashion initiative, Western’s Best Dressed, Kazemian has made her mark across campus.

Her story reflects how the Faculty of Social Science helps students find their path—through mentorship, co-op opportunities, career advising, and a community that values inclusion and purpose.

Discover Rogina’s inspiring journey:
🔗 https://www.ssc.uwo.ca/meetourstars/celebrating_student_stories_rogina_kazemian.html

DAN Management Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Western

Sunday’s Fall Preview Day at Western is coming soon! We’ll see you there.

It’s almost time to visit Western!

If you haven’t yet booked your campus or residence tour, now’s the time!
Each tour is personalized — your guide will tailor the route and conversation to your interests so you can truly imagine yourself as part of the Western community.

🌟 For even greater access, don’t miss Fall Preview Day this Sunday, November 16!
Experience campus tours, residence visits, and presentations all in one day.

🔗 Book or learn more: https://studentservices.uwo.ca/secure/liaison/CT_web/index.cfm?

Western Anthropology Western U - Undergraduate Economics DAN Management Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Western Department of History - Western University Political Science - Western University

We are so proud of our GSWS Masters students who spoke at last week’s rally for Arts and Humanities. Recent restructuring has meant the loss of 4 staff positions, people who have supported our undergrad students as they translate a lucky first year elective to a major to an MA in GSWS. Thank you for speaking out about the human impact these changes have.

Congratulations GSWS graduates, and all of the other students on this massive achievement! We’re so proud of you! 🎉 🎉 🎉

A great talk coming tomorrow, Oct 9!

Western Academy for Advanced Research Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Ola Osman reports on her field work on Ethiopia. Her talk entitled “Global Warming and Social Inequality in Ethiopia’s Afar Region: Lessons from the Hottest Place on Earth,” will explore the experience and challenges she encountered in the field.

Bonus: Dr. Osmon is a graduate of our undergraduate program in GSWS and served as an RA in the department with the fabulous Dr. Erica Lawson. It's so fantastic to see the amazing projects our alum work on with that experience!

https://possibilitiesforpeace.ca/the-hottest-place-on-earth/

There's still time to catch The Wind Coming Over the Sea, a new play at Blyth Festival by Emma Donoghue, friend of GSWS and a former Western Writer-in-Residence. Western Library archives houses the historical letters that served as inspiration for this tale of Irish immigrants preparing to move to Canada during the Great Famine.

Historical letters from Western archives inspire Blyth Festival play Johnson-McConnell letters from 1800s brought to life on stage by Emma Donoghue

A beautiful lineup of events for NDTR at Western 🧡

Western University is honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a number of public events that invite reflection, learning, and community connection. All are welcome.

👇 Events by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives:

Monday, September 29 at 10 a.m. (Concrete Beach, UCC)
Orange Shirt Flag Raising Ceremony
🧡 Drumming and speeches from campus and Indigenous community leaders on the importance of Truth and Reconciliation at Western. Please wear orange.

Tuesday, September 30 at 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Wampum Learning Lodge)
Sunrise Ceremony and Sacred Fire
🧡 Led by Elder Mike Hopkins. Hot breakfast and refreshments served throughout the morning while supplies last. All are welcome to pay respects and offer prayers.

🤝 Events by partners across campus:

Friday, September 19 at 12:30 p.m. (von Kuster Hall, Music Building)
Concert: Currents of Change
🧡 This concert program explores the themes of water and water rights through music. No registration required, free to attend

Monday, September 22 at 5:30 p.m. (Peter Kenny Theatre, King’s University College)
‘Not the Right Thing To Do, The Only Thing To Do: How Indigenous Education Will Save the World’ Talk by Dr. Niigaan Sinclair
🧡 This talk will explore how Indigenous education is vital for reconciliation and building a more just, hopeful future.

Wednesday, September 24 at 1 p.m. (Weldon Library Scholar’s Lab)
ArtThrive: Water | Remembering & Silkscreening T-Shirts
🧡 This series of short films explore how familial and ancestral bonds are cultivated with and through connection to the natural environment, specifically through water systems.

Thursday, September 25 at 10 a.m. (Wampum Learning Lodge)
Allied Scholarship in Indigenous Research Panel: Reflections, Responsibilities, and Realities (Registration Required)
🧡 Attendees will gain practical guidance on how allied scholars can contribute meaningfully by honouring community priorities, cultural protocols, long-term commitments and navigating institutional pressures.

Sunday, September 28 at 3 p.m. (Paul Davenport Theatre, Talbot College)
Concert: Commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
🧡 This event will feature solo performances by alumni Emma Pennell and Evan Korbut, and Master's student Rebecca Crane as well as selections performed by the Western University Singers.

Tuesday, September 30 at 12 p.m. (Social Science Centre Rm. 2050)
Afternoon of Allyship
🧡 Reflect on what allyship means as a student, supervisor, researcher or leader at Western. Light lunch served to the first 75 attendees.

Tuesday, September 30 at 1 p.m. (Schulich Hall, Frank Holmes Centre, Huron University College)
Film Screening & Director's Talk: Return of the Spirit Horses
🧡 This film follows an Indigenous filmmaker as he reconnects with the stories of his youth through the once nearly extinct Ojibwe Spirit horses.

📆 Learn more and register for the panel at: indigenous.uwo.ca/NDTR

Love this initiative from Western Prof Anita Woods to create a new database of open-source physiology illustrations that reflect the diverse population of students in Canadian universities and help support medical care for diverse patients!

Western prof, grad share diverse medical illustrations - Western News A Western professor and Western graduate created a free, open-source database with diverse medical illustrations to better represent those using them.

Black Studies in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies is proud to co-sponsor a public lecture with Joseph McGill Jr. who tells the story of his groundbreaking project to sleep in former slave dwellings, revealing the fascinating history behind these sites and shedding light on larger issues of race in America.

Join us on Monday, September 29 from 11:00am-12:30pm in the Weldon Library Community Room at Western University.

The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Western is such a huge supporter of our Black Studies Modules. Thrilled to see these EDI Student Welcome events planned for Black Students, LGBTQIA+ Students, and Muslim Students on Sep 4, 5, and 10. Register now!

https://www.edi.uwo.ca/events/

Course posters are here! A quick look at everything we're offering for our modules in Gender and Women's Studies, Sexuality Studies, and Black Studies in 2025-2026. Visit uwo.ca/gsws for course descriptions.